By JAMAL HADDOU

Students across Australia took to the streets today to protest against the Government's new higher education policies, which include fee spikes and funding cuts.

The National Union of Students co-ordinated rallies across Brisbane, Sydney, Tasmania and Melbourne in a national day of action against the proposed changes.

Students from universities in Melbourne including La Trobe, Monash and RMIT assembled outside the State Library and marched in the CBD voicing opposition to funding cuts and the newly proposed low income HECS repayment.

Chanting “Malcolm Turnbull f*** you! We deserve a future too!” and “No ifs! No buts! No education cuts!” students demanded the Government abandon their education policies.

Tram services were delayed as a high police presence of more than 30 officers closed off parts of Bourke and Swanson streets.

The Federal Government recently revealed it was considering reducing the HECS-HELP debt repayment threshold to $42,000. This means graduates earning $800 a week might have to start paying back their university debts.

The Grattan Institute think tank recommended slashing the income threshold because it would generate $500 million for the economy within a year.

National Union of Students president Sinead Collee slammed the proposal as a greedy attack on university students.

“Students have come out in huge numbers today because they’re angry at the Turnbull Government and see education as a right and not a privilege,” she said.

“We can’t expect our country to have the best nurses, doctors and teachers if we aren’t going to invest in the future of higher education,” she said.

The current loan repayment threshold for graduates is $54,126 a year, which is close to the Australian Tax Office’s estimate of the median taxable income. The proposed lower repayment threshold of $42,000 brings this much closer to the minimum wage salary, which is around $34,000.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said the current HECS system was unsustainable, as the Commonwealth would have $13 billion of loans it did not expect to collect.

“The costs to taxpayers of higher education have, over recent years, grown dramatically. Funding of university students has, essentially, grown at twice the rate of the economy,” he said.

Grattan Institute senior higher education program associate Ittima Cherastidtham said the current HECS system was a burden on the economy and debts needed to be paid back faster.

“HELP costs are growing and outstanding HELP debt is around $50 billion. Australia's higher education system is primarily funded from public sources. At least half of teaching costs for government-supported students is funded by the public,” she said.

“Compared to other working age Australians, $42,000 is well above what the social welfare system defines as hardship. Graduates do not have special needs compared to non-graduates who receive government assistance.”

National Tertiary Education Union president Jeannie Rea said reforms were unfair for graduates who did not secure full-time work.

“Those in jobs that are part-time or even short fixed-term contract will be in an even more disadvantageous position because not only are they getting low pay, but more of it’s going on paying back their HECS earlier. That seems to be an unfair disadvantage to people who are starting to establish their career,” she said.

Despite the high cost to taxpayers, Ms Rea said students shouldn’t be used to fix the Government’s budget.

“I don’t think it’s the job of students and recent graduates to save the budget’s bottom line. [The Coalition] don’t need to turn around a say to one group of people ‘well you’re the ones who are going to help us balance out our budget’.”

Ms Rea said the Liberal Government was not trustworthy in providing higher education to those at a disadvantage.

“I don’t think there’s a genuine commitment to accessible and affordable higher education for all people. There’s a focus on high quality education for those that are already well off but other people just have to scramble and get what they can,” she said.

The National Union of Students has scheduled another city protest for next month.